1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in to general to watercraft control systems and, in particular, relates to watercraft control systems that communicate over a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Watercraft generally include operational and other controls that are used for maneuvering and other operations. For example, a watercraft often includes output control and steering control for a propulsion device, such as an inboard motor or an outboard motor having a propulsion mechanism, such as a jet, a propeller or another thrust generating device. In the past, the foregoing controls included mechanically linked devices. More recent control mechanisms employ one or more electronic systems. For example, the electronic systems may include an inboard local area network (LAN) that electrically connects, for example, a control station to the motor controls of an outboard motor. The inboard LAN may also connect other devices to one or more communication cables between the control station and the outboard motor.
The known electronic systems include a number of drawbacks when, for example, the watercraft includes multiple sets of operational controls. For example, a watercraft may include a plurality of control stations, each having a corresponding set of operational or other controls usable to maneuver or otherwise operate the watercraft. When such multi-set operational controls are operated simultaneously, the controls may send competing and even contradictory signals to the motor control via the inboard LAN. Consequently, the watercraft may not operate or may operate incorrectly.
In addition to the drawbacks associated with multi-set controls, the known electronic systems may fail when, for example, abnormal conditions affect communication in the inboard LAN. For example, electric shorts, poor connections, or the like may create communication breaks between nodes of the inboard LAN.